The chemistry of Teen Wolf

CB Droege, 18th July 2011

Teen Wolf is an excellent teen horror drama, but it’s obviously not perfect.

We’re getting into the long-haul for Teen Wolf, and the series is beginning to show some of its weaknesses. The first few episodes just kept getting better, but now that we’re on Episode 7, a few base components of that essential quality have begun to waver and drift.

The heart-monitor antics of the sixth episode were clever, and at times I found myself laughing out loud, but the end of that episode turned toward the melodrama that the series has been so studiously avoiding.

We also got our first really clear looks at the alpha werewolf, and the special effects there are mediocre at best, even for a television budget.

The alpha looks like a poorly sculpted Jim Henson monster, and the suspension of disbelief is very difficult to maintain when he appears on screen.

The most recent episode, while it keeps the melodrama going, has no light scenes to break up the constant danger. Hopefully not every episode is going to turn into this, as the greatest appeal of the show is the mixing of the dumb awkward teenager issues with the horror of the situation. Cutting out the brief moments of light challenges the show’s ability to stay on track.

I do like the way the writers have continued to make the identity of the alpha a complete mystery, even if the devices they’ve used are a bit hackneyed. There is likely a strong temptation to start narrowing the mystery down a bit, but I think the show is stronger for resisting that call.

Teen Wolf is still worth your attention. Every show has a couple of poorly wrought episodes. As long as the writing picks back up again in the next few episodes, the show will be gold again.